Board receives update on 911 center activity First responders offer input on ways to make system work better for SFC
The St. Francis County 911 Dispatch Advisory Board met Wednesday to discuss operations at the dispatch center.
According to SFC Judge Gary Hughes, the meeting was the first for the board to hear updates from Jackie White, director of the 911 dispatch center.
"The first thing we will do is hear a report from Jackie on what is going on with 911 and where we are on different things before hearing from different entities about if they see opportunities for improvement they would like to mention,” said Hughes.
White said dispatchers have made improvements in several areas in order to keep first responders updated and informed.
"We are working on prioritizing calls," said White. "I know we are having issues with that right now and we are trying to make our dispatchers be as professional as possible without yelling in the radios. We are trying to learn to make good decisions and we are working on teamwork. We are also working on directional skills and adaptability. We have improved on getting the correct information from callers, staying on the line with callers until EMS or someone arrives, and they are getting better at CAD (Computer Aided Dispatch). At the end of each call, they have to complete the calls and they are improving at that."
Forrest City Fire Department Chief Shane Dallas said his department is trying to cut back on unnecessary chatter on the dispatch channels.
"We are getting used to the CAD just like everybody else is, and we just had a meeting to discuss our procedures and getting into good habits," said Dallas. "We are trying to cut down on unnecessary traffic to the dispatchers because they are dispatching more than just us. We check en route and on scene through CAD to further eliminate traffic through dispatch.
“I know you all are having some issues with the warble. The warble really helps us at night when they are asleep or if they
are outside working on a truck or whatever. It makes them stop and listen up and that reduces the requests for things like the address over and over again,” continued Dallas. “Also, if they are using our tablets, they have the address there so they don't have to ask for it. We are going to hopefully continue to get better at checking in as well. We are trying to do our part to make it better. We appreciate what you all are doing."
SFC Emergency Management Coordinator Zakk Jumper said that through CAD, dispatch traffic would slow down.
"Some of the things I am hearing that is causing issues for the dispatch is when we ask for the same information over and over,” said Jumper. “I listened to the radio the other day and heard the same individual ask for an address seven times. Every time you talk on that radio and ask for that she is having to stop what she is doing to listen to you. We bought this CAD system, and once everyone gets it up and going, all of this information is going to populate on that computer. We had a call the other day at the fire station about a wreck in Madison. She couldn't tell us exactly where it was, only that it was close to Highway 70 and Madison near Crow Creek. When she sent it to our CAD, we were able to GPS the exact location that the call came from and go straight to the scene. When we get the CAD up and going for everyone, use it. It is an awesome tool."
According to Forrest City Police Chief Ronald Broussard, the dispatchers did a good job during recent stressful situations.
"I expect bumps in the road; it is brand new. If anyone doesn't expect that, then your expectations are unrealistic," said Broussard. "There are training issues, but they are getting better and better. I am seeing it improve before my eyes. It is a work in progress, but it is improving and getting stronger and stronger.
“The city is a different beast. We receive roughly 100 calls a day, where 25 calls in the county in a day is a big day,” said Broussard. “All calls are not emergency calls, but nevertheless, it is a call that we have to respond to. CAD will make things so much simpler when we get it installed. I applaud the job that our dispatchers are doing. When we had the recent murders on MLK and Franklin Streets, we were yelling at everybody. We had people bleeding out and dispatch remained calm. They did a good job. In the stress of the moment, you can really gauge where you are."
SFC Judge-elect Craig Jones said his door will always be open and if dispatch or first responders need anything from him to let him know.
"It sounds like it is getting better," said Jones. "Of all of the meetings I have been to lately, this seems to be the most productive one. Judge Hughes, don't worry about anything, I will keep it going just like you had it. My philosophy is if nothing is wrong with it don't mess with it. I appreciate everybody being here and my office door will always be open. Anything you need, let me know."
"This is the nucleus that saves lives in the county," said Dallas.